Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
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It's a new year, and the Wildcat's opinions pages have made a fresh start with some fresh faces. Here's a look at what's to come from the people who will chronically irritate and elate you this semester.
Tim Belshe is a systems engineering junior from Phoenix. A true mountain man, Tim spends his free time camping, shooting and off-roading. He's got a sci-fi alter ego, though: Tim is a genuine Trekkie. He describes his conservative column as an "angry rant" - familiar territory for our sharpshooting opinions staff. Look for his column, "A Load of Belshe," each Thursday in the Wildcat.
Brett Berry is a regional development sophomore from Gilbert. He's a cross country Cubbie with the voice of an angel and the hook shot of a hoops star. Music rules all for Brett - he's an avid Beatles fan, plays the guitar and is even minoring in music. Prior to this semester, Brett has occupied himself with "yelling at the BS in the newspapers"; this semester we're giving him a megaphone. His column, "Talking Back," will appear on Tuesdays.
Susan Bonicillo is a journalism sophomore from Seattle. She's a big fan of all things extracurricular - be it sports, clubs or honoraries, she's a veritable expert. This semester, Susan will unleash her charm and wit on the campus society in her column, "The Scene." It hits newsstands Tuesday.
Jen Kursman is a biochemistry freshman from Birmingham, Mich. As the youngest member of the Wildcat opinions desk, Jen has a unique angle on undergraduate life. She hopes to use her close ties to the campus community to bring national events down to the local level. This semester, she'll be providing a liberal response to national and international affairs in "From the Soapbox," her Friday column.
Sabrina Noble is a creative writing senior from St. Louis, Mo. Our resident sultan of sass describes the highlight of her job as "getting to piss people off." She's done so with astonishing dexterity throughout her college career - first as the editor in chief of the Persona literary magazine, now as a resident assistant at Manzanita-Mohave Residence Hall. She spends her free time writing fiction and accosting her so-called friends. This semester she will be doing what she does best in her humor column, "Fully In Tact." Read her - if you've got thick skin - on Fridays.
Aaron Okin is a regional development and political science sophomore from Mesa. He has been groomed for the columnist position since he started watching news analysis shows around the time he entered kindergarten. Never one to shy away from a debate, Aaron even picked a fight in the middle of his interview - part of the reason he was hired. His column, "A Wider Lens," will run on Wednesdays and focus on national and international issues.
Jason Poreda is a political science and communication senior from Boston. He's a pool and bowling aficionado with a warm spot in his cold heart for the Cubs. Though not a local boy, Jason says he "bleeds red and blue," and there's ample evidence to support his claim: During his years here, Jason has worked for the Residence Hall Association, SafeRide, the student regent's office and as a senator in ASUA. He plans to use his knowledge of UA administration for good - not evil - by channeling it into a Monday column, "The Raucous Caucus."
Dan Scarpinato, a journalism and political science senior, was born and raised right here in Tucson. As a former editor in chief of the Wildcat and the current editor in chief of the UA's Desert yearbook, Dan has his fingers in more pies than we can count. He plans to use his reporting savvy and cronyism with UA top brass to unearth the history behind current UA events. His column, "Connecting the Dots," will grace our pages every Tuesday.
Sara Warzecka is a biochemistry and journalism freshman who was born in Whittier, Calif., but migrated to Tucson when the smog started going to her head. She describes her heritage as "part dumb Pollack and part drunken Irish," but her true family inheritance is a profound hatred of the Bush family. Her column, "Major Disappointment," will take a look at how people's majors shape their identities - from the kid in your intro psych class to the world's largest celebrities, Sara's got it covered. Look for her on Thursdays.
